I will now describe the second part of my invention, which relates to apparatus for applying steam to woolen and worsted fabrics when rolled. It has heretofore been common to apply hot water, and, in some cases, steam, to cloths, or fabrics, of wool, or worsted. Now, the object of this part of my invention is so to arrange apparatus, that steam may be applied, under pressure, to rolls of cloth enclosed in a suitable vessel, or apparatus, such apparatus being so formed as to allow of the atmospheric air being driven out thereof by the pressure of the steam, the peculiar feature of the invention being the use of steam above the atmospheric pressure, so that the vessel, or apparatus, may be rendered void of air by steam.

Fig. 3.

Fig. 3, is an external view. This apparatus is suitable for applying steam to woolen, or other, fabrics, whether the fabrics be introduced in the dry, or wet, state, in place of immersing such cloths in hot water, as heretofore practiced, and the rollers. being hollow, allow the steam to be introduced into the interior of the roller. b, is the roller; at the upper end of the roller is a plug, which is withdrawn when the steam is first introduced into the interior of the roller; and when the air is driven therefrom, the plug, e, is introduced, and the cover, f, is closed, and the bar, g, passes under the catch, h, and then the screw, i, is screwed down on to the cover so as to cause the vessel to be closed air and steam tight; steam is then allowed to flow into the vessel, j, and thus drive off the air at the cock, k, which cock is then to be closed; and if the fabric has been introduced in the wet state, then I do not allow the steam to continue to flow into the vessel, j, after the air has been driven out, but close that cock, l, and open the cock, m, so that the external part of the apparatus will be kept full of steam, the air being first driven out by the steam at the cock,

n, and in this state I retain the apparatus for from ten minutes to a quarter of an hour, the nature of the fabrics treated requiring a slight difference of time, which a little practice will enable a workman to judge of. If the roll of fabric has been introduced in a dry state, then I continue the supply of steam to the inner vessel during the same time, the outer vessel not then being required. The steam which I usually employ is of about 20 lbs. pressure on the square inch in the steam boiler, but I do not confine myself thereto so long as the steam passed into the closed apparatus offers a pressure to drive off the air therefrom, and render it void thereof. When worsted fabrics are being operated on, I can use the roller, or cylinder, b, as shown, or the same may be perforated all over with numerous small holes, as is now sometimes practiced with worsted fabrics, and which, when separately considered, forms no part of my invention. [Enrolled August 15th, 1843.

Specification of a Patent granted to Messrs. KEELY and ALLIOTT, for a Drying Machine. Patent dated March 2, 1843; Specifi cation enrolled September 2, 1843.

The idea of drying soft goods by causing them to revolve rapidly, and imparting thereby a strong centrifugal tendency to the liquid particles contained therein, is not new-for there have been two or three machines for the purpose before the present; but hitherto it has been followed out with only very partial success, owing to the difficulty of so constructing a machine, that the parts of it shall hold together at the high velocities necessary for drying goods rapidly. In one instance, where a machine of this sort was pushed to a speed of not more than about 300 turns a minute, a plate belonging to it flew off at a tangent, and cut the head of the attendant clean off. In the apparatus we have now to describe, this difficulty has, by a very happy combination of contrivances, been at length completely mastered. It is stated to be able to revolve with perfect safety at the rate of from 1500 to 2000 revolutions per minute, and such is the construction of the machine, that we see no reason to doubt the correctness of the statement. The inventor is a Prussian gentleman, of the name of Seyrig, from whom the English patentees, Messrs. Keely and Alliott, derive their title. From the specification of the latter, we extract the following description:

Figure 1, is an elevation partly in section of this machine; A A, is the frame work; B, a vertical shaft which turns in a socket, a, in the bottom bridge, b, and carries at top a friction cone, c, by which a rotary motion is given to it in a manner afterwards explained. C, is a drum of two concentric compartments, d, e, of the shape shown in the engraving, which is fitted loosely on the shaft, B, and rests, when not in motion, on two conical projections, f, s, turned on the shaft. Both compartments have one common bottom of metal, and are formed at the sides, each of a continuous length of tinned iron wire, wound in a series of circles at small distances apart, and connected transversely by slips of metal soldered thereto. The top, or cover, of the inner compartment, d, is secured by nuts and screws to a ring of angle iron, which binds the wire sides together at the top; but that of the outer compartment, e, in which alone the goods to be dried are placed, is made to lift off in order to introduce and remove the goods, and has a rim both on its outer end and inner periphery, so that when fixed in its place, the inner rim presses against the outside of the inner compartment, and the outer rim overlaps the sides of the outer compartment itself. When the machine is at work, the cover of the outer compartment is further secured in its place by bolts, or pins, (not seen in the engraving.) The sides of the inner compartment, d, are connected to the bottom by prolonging the transverse slips of metal which connect the circles of wire, and riveting, and soldering them to the plates. The wire sides of the outer compartment are bound together at top by a ring of angle iron, to which they are riveted and soldered, and are connected to the bottom plate by turning

up the plate over the sides, and soldering and riveting as before. D, is a governor suspended within the inner compartment, d, of the drum, C; the two weighted arms, h, h, being loosely affixed at their elbows

to studs in the top plate of the drum, so as to turn freely thereon, and resting by their upper ends on a ruff, i, projecting from the shaft. E, is an outer case which surrounds the whole of the drum, except at the top, and is intended for the reception of the water driven off from

the goods, but is fixed, not to the drum, but to the frame work, A A. At y, there is a tap for drawing off the water, and in the bottom an orifice for the insertion of a pipe to admit hot air. When a rotary motion is given to the vertical shaft B, it carries round with it the drum, and in proportion to the velocity of the motion, there is a centrifugal tendency imparted to the liquid particles contained in the goods, which is the useful effect desired to be produced by the machine; but as the same centrifugal tendency in the parts of the machine, would, in case of any unequal distribution of the weight, cause, if not counteracted, an injurious strain on the central shaft, B, and might cause at the high velocities necessary for drying goods quickly, an actual disruption of the machine, and as this difficulty is increased when the weight of the goods happens not to be quite equally distributed over the drum, the governor, D, has been introduced, in order to prevent such consequences. For, as the speed of the shaft increases, the arms of the governor expand, and gradually raise the drum C, from off its seat on the conical supports, f, g, and thus leave the drum free to adjust itself, according to its natural gravitating tendencies, so as to bring the centre of gravity in uniform coincidence with the centre of rotation. The drum is gimbled to the shaft in the manner shown in fig. 1, and allows of the drum moving in any direction. To prevent the drum from rising too suddenly, there is a spiral spring, k, affixed to the shaft immediately above the conical support, g. For still farther maintaining the drum in a state of equilibrium, it is encircled at the middle by a hollow ring, or girdle, F, of which a plan and section are given separately in figs. 2 and 3, which is about half filled with water, or other suitable fluid. As this ring rotates, should the goods weight incline to preponderate at any part, the weight of water getting to the opposite side serves, more, or less, to prevent and counteract such preponderance. The equilibrating effect of this ring is increased, if the interior is divided into two, or more, channels. G, is a pipe by which steam, or hot air, can be introduced into the centre of the drum, when it is desired, by these means, to accelerate the drying of the goods; the bottom of the drum being perforated at the centre with a number of holes to admit the same.

The rotary action of the shaft, B, is obtained in manner following: I, is a disk affixed to the end of a shaft, which disk is beveled off near to its periphery, to correspond at that part with the surface of the cone, c, at the top of the shaft, B, so that when made to revolve in a horizontal direction, it shall cause the cone, c, and shaft, B, to revolve in a vertical direction; L1 is a cone affixed to the end of the shaft, K1, and L2, another cone of the same dimensions, but placed with its base opposite the apex of the other, which is affixed to a shaft, K2, communicating immediately with the first mover, which may be either a steam engine, water-mill, or any other suitable machine. M, is the belt which connects the two cones, and by the unwinding of which from the larger end of one cone, upon the smaller end of the other, or vice versa, with the help of a guide in the known manner of working such alternate cones, motion is communicated to the shaft,

K1, and retarded, or accelerated, or kept at one constant rate, according as may be desired. N, is the pulley to which the power of the engine is directly applied. Instead of one friction disk only (I) being made use of, two such disks may be employed if found needful, as shown in fig. 5, and having an additional friction cone at the top, the better to equalize the action of the rubbing parts; but in that case the additional disk and cone must turn loosely in their bearings.

At the Lenton Works, near Nottingham, Messrs. Keely and Alliott have a machine of this sort in operation, the drum of which is 36 inches in diameter, and which is worked usually at the rate of from 1500 to 1600 revolutions per minute. A machine of the same magnitude, on any other plan-that of Robinson, for example, patented three or four years ago-could not be worked with safety at half that speed. Besides this, Robinson's machine is so made that one of 36 inches diameter could not hold more than half the quantity of goods. which can be conveniently stowed away in one on the present improved system of construction.

Lond. Mech. Mag.

Specification of a Patent granted to GEORGE HICKES, of Huddersfield, in the county of York, for an Improved Machine for cleansing, or freeing, wool and other fibrous materials, of burs and other extraneous substances. Sealed 21st August, 1841.

This improved cleaning machine contains four rotary beaters which act, in succession, upon the wool, or other fibrous material, for the purpose of removing the burs, or other extraneous matters that may have become mixed therewith.

Fig. 1, represents, in vertical section, one of the beaters, with its appendages. a, is the beater-shaft, carrying the three blades, b, b, b; (the patentee does not, however,

confine himself to this number,) and c, c, c, are pieces of sheet-iron, or other suitable material, fastened between the blades, to prevent the wool from lapping round them; d, e, are two pairs of drawing-rollers, which receive the wool from an endless traveling cloth, f, and

Fig. 1.

deliver it on to the curved grating, g; the upper roller of each pair being fluted, and the lower one plain. The lower roller of the second pair, d, is furnished with a straight edge, or doctor, h, which is held against it by means of a small weight, i, hung upon a tail-piece, j, projecting from the doctor; k, is a plate secured to the curved grating beneath the lower drawing roller, d, and on it the wool is beaten, or dressed, as it is delivered by the drawing-rollers.

The action of the machine is as follows:-The wool, having been opened and spread upon the feeding-cloth, f, is carried by it to the